


Disaster

by burning_books



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23906104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burning_books/pseuds/burning_books
Summary: Malcolm Bright is an emotional mess. Dani saves the day, again.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 1
Kudos: 53





	Disaster

"Dani, I'm worried about Malcolm. I haven't heard from him in a couple days. Would you mind checking up on him for me?" Gil asks. Dani nods.

"Yeah, sure, Gil." She can't keep the concern out of her voice.

"Alright, thanks. Text me as soon as you know anything." Dani nods again and steps out of Gil's office. It's all she can do to walk calmly to her car and drive the speed limit to Malcolm's apartment.

Once she's there, she presses the buzzer. "Bright, it's Dani. Can I come up?" She fights to mask her concern, fiddling anxiously with her jacket as she waits for his reply. A couple minutes pass with no response.

She hits the buzzer again. "Bright, are you in there? It's Dani. Gil is worried about you."

Another minute passes and her finger is on the button when the intercom buzzes. Relief floods her as Malcolm says, "Dani, come on up."

She texts Gil that Malcolm is in fact alive before stepping through the door and heading up to his apartment. He's left the door open for her, so she steps quietly inside and shuts the door behind her. She spots him on the couch, head in his hands. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," he replies without looking up. "Just tired."

"Tired enough to stay home for two days without even a text?" Dani sits down next to him on the couch. Her eyes wander over his weapons collection, then back to him.

"Yeah, I've been... sleeping odd hours. Kinda randomly throughout the day."

"I guess it's hard to have night terrors when you don't sleep at night," she replies, which earns her a small chuckle.

"I wish that were true," he says, and looks up at her. He's right - he looks exhausted. His usually bright blue eyes look dim and sunken.

"You look like shit, Malcolm. What happened?"

He shakes his head, a slight smile on his lips. "Thanks, Dani. You always were so nice to me. Flattery's clearly your strong suit."

"Shut up, Bright. What are you hiding? Talk to me." Concern sharpens her voice, and she flinches at the sound of it.

"I... went to see my dad again. He told me..." Malcolm trails off, glances down at his hand. It's shaking. Without thinking, Dani takes it, holding it steady. "He told me some things about my childhood that really should've been left unknown."

She looks at him - he's holding back tears. Dani squeezes his hand. He glances down at their joined hands, and smiles bitterly. "The one time you're at my apartment while I'm sober, I'm on the verge of a breakdown instead."

"What can I say?" she replies. "I'm a little too good at looking out for my friends."

"Or, I'm really that much of a disaster," Malcolm says, and they both grin, though it's clear he's still upset.

"Oh, you're definitely a disaster. At least you're never boring," Dani teases. He smiles, but it quickly fades.

"Sometimes I wish I never found out about Dr. Whitly's quote-unquote hobby. I wish I still lived in the world where he was the best dad ever."

They're silent for a long moment. Malcolm is looking down, tears falling down his cheeks. Dani drops his hand, wraps him in a tight hug. He buries his face in her shoulder, hugging her back.

"I'm so sorry, Malcolm," she says. Her words hang in the air as he cries into her shoulder. He's clinging to her like a piece of driftwood in the wake of a shipwreck.

"But hey, I'm glad I met you. You may be a mess but I wouldn't have you any other way - well. Maybe I'd have you without the night terrors and hallucinations and the serial killer dad. But keep all the profiling stuff and all your other crazy."

He laughs, moves to look at her. He looks even worse but somehow his eyes are still pretty, despite the lack of sleep and puffiness from crying.

"Thanks, Dani," he says, "for everything."

"What are friends for?" she replies.

Malcolm hesitates for a moment, then speaks. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Malcolm draws a deep breath. "Why do I feel so safe around you? For two days I've barely slept, barely eaten, afraid of nothing and everything all at once. But as soon as you get here it's like all the fear fades into the background. When you stayed over, I didn't have a single dream - granted, you knocked me out cold, but still." He looks at her, studying her. "What is it about you that makes me feel like I could be okay?"

"I dunno, Bright. Out of the two of us, I think you're the most qualified to answer that question."

"Maybe. Or maybe, the answer doesn't even matter, at least as long as you're around to save my sorry ass." Malcolm's gaze is focused downwards, on her lips. 

"I'll always be around, Bright."

"Thank God for that," he says, and finally, if a little suddenly, he kisses her. Dani wraps her arms tighter around him and kisses back. He tastes like butterscotch and whiskey, and his lips are a little chapped. He hasn't shaved in a while and his stubble scratches her face, not unpleasantly. 

After a long moment, he pulls away. 

"So, see you at work tomorrow?" she finally says.

He swallows, hard. Takes a deep breath. "Will you - I mean, would you mind staying here tonight? I don't think I trust myself alone."

"Yeah, sure. I'll stay."

He hugs her again, tight. "Thank you, Dani. For everything."

**Author's Note:**

> For Max.
> 
> Hurt/Comfort isn't really my thing, but Max asked so I did my best.


End file.
